Whether it’s chocolate bars at the tills or the smell of freshly-baked goods near the eggs you need, supermarkets have a string of tricks up their sleeve to get you to spend more.

The cost of impulse buys can add up, so they’re best avoided, however good they look or smell.

3. Alter your gaze

The products supermarkets really want you to buy are placed at eye-level. Generally, these will be pretty expensive items.

By looking further down the shelves, you’ll often see similar, less expensive versions of the same product.

Savvy shoppers at MoneySavingExpert said: “The most profitable stock is placed at eye-level (or children’s eye-level is targeted at them), yet profitable goods tend not to be the cheapest for shoppers.

“The age-old adage ‘look high and low for something’ really does apply.”

4. Avoid multi-buy deals

Multi-buy or buy-one-get-one free deals are often not what they appear.

To give the impression of giving a good deal, supermarkets sometimes push up the price per item and exaggerate original prices to make them seem cheaper, MoneySavingExpert said.

A tin of own-label basic baked beans from Sainsbury’s cost 25p for 425g, while a smaller tin of Heinz Baked Beans is around double the price at the same supermarket, at 60p.

Small switches could make a big difference over the course of a year, particularly for staples like cereals, orange juice and vegetables.

6. Watch out for children’s pester power

Andy Webb, an expert from the Money Advice Service, told The Sun Online: “Twenty-six per cent of shoppers say they give in to their children and the average extra spent on keeping children happy during a shopping trip is around £15.50.

But, many supermarkets, like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, impose a minimum spend for free deliveries.

At Sainsbury’s, shoppers have to spend £100 or more to get free delivery.
Shopping little-and-often in-store could help you save money in the long run, as you’ll only buy what you need rather than feeling compelled to order more to reach minimum spends online.

10. If you do order online, choose quiet delivery slots

Many supermarkets charge more for deliveries made at popular times, like the weekend.

It’s not always possible, but try and book cheaper delivery slots. Tesco charges £7 for deliveries made at certain times on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

If you order online every week for a year, that amounts to over £300, just in delivery costs.

But, Tesco also has cheaper delivery slots, ranging from £1 to £6, for off-peak times on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

It’s a similar story in many other supermarkets, so book off-peak delivery slots and you’ll save pounds.

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